Description
Book SynopsisVodka pioneer Pyotr Smirnov is one the most fascinating salesmen and entrepeneurs the world has ever known. This title presents a chronicle of ambition and innovation that has fascinating parallels to the post-communist Russia.
Trade ReviewOne of "the year's best books." -- BusinessWeek "The book is an impressive feat of research, told swiftly and enthusiastically." -- San Francisco Chronicle "Himelstein brings thorough research and strong writing to bear on a fascinating subject." -- BusinessWeek "Himelstein makes Russian history and even current politics come alive." -- USA Today "Linda Himelstein has pulled off a remarkable storytelling feat." -- Julia Flynn Siler, author of The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty "To follow the lives of members of the Smirnov family in this vivid account is to experience the flow of Russian history from the 1830s until the present. " -- Professor Patricia Herlihy, Professor Emeritus, History, Brown University and author of The Alcoholic Empire "The story of the Smirnov family is an operatic tour-de-force, and Linda Himelstein tells it with grace and passion." -- Tilar J. Mazzeo, author of The Widow Clicquot "An astonishing tale..." -- Miami Herald
